Teachers' perspectives on support education room practices in the context of students with mild intellectual disabilities

This study aims to examine in depth the opinions and suggestions of teachers regarding the practices of Support Education Rooms (SER) conducted in the context of students with mild intellectual disabilities (MID). The study group consisted of 15 volunteer teachers working in eight different schools during the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and analyzed through content analysis. According to the findings, most teachers reported that their schools lacked independent SERs and that support education was usually carried out in staff rooms or vacant classrooms. Physical inadequacies, lack of materials, and limited budgets emerged as major challenges. However, teachers stated that they regularly communicated with classroom teachers and exchanged information about student development and instructional methods. While most participants had received in-service training, they emphasized that the content was insufficient and called for more systematic and practice-oriented programs. SER practices were found to positively contribute to students' academic and social skills; nonetheless, students' slow learning and quick forgetting tendencies occasionally led to decreased motivation among teachers. In conclusion, to enhance the quality of SER, it is recommended that fully equipped and independent SERs meeting the regulatory requirements be made mandatory, and that the Ministry of National Education allocate special budgets to schools and establish regular monitoring and inspection mechanisms to ensure the continuity of these spaces. Furthermore, it is suggested that special education teachers be prioritized for assignment, comprehensive in-service training be provided to other teachers, awareness programs be conducted for families, teacher-family cooperation be strengthened, and material support be increased. The suggestions brought by teachers from the field provide concrete contributions to the more effective and sustainable implementation of SER practices.